Swingable electric contactor for guided missiles



April 14, 1964 L. F. MORRIS 3,129,046

SWINGABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR FOR GUIDED MISSILES Filed March 28, 1.962 4 Sheets-Sheet l IIWENTOR. LAW/PE/VCF R NORAD/S- F/ ,6. 2

' April 14, 1964 R. MORRIS 3,129,046

SWINGABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR FOR GUIDED MISSILE-S 4 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed March 28, 1962 A ril 14, 1964 L. R. MORRIS 3,129,046

SWINGABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR FOR GUIDED MISSILES Filed March 28, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

INVENTOR. LA/VPf VCE A, Mop/24s April 14, 1964 MORRIS 3,129,946

' SWINGABLE ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR FOR GUIDED MISSILES Filed March 28, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. 144mm": A? MO/P/P/Sf United States Patent Ofifice 3,129,046 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,129,046 SWHNGABLE ELEQTREC CQNTACTQR FOR GUIRDED MHSSEES Lawrence R. Morris, Port Orchard, Wash, assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Mar. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 183,708 17 Claims. (Cl. 339-35) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 256) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to guided missiles and, in particular, to electrical contactors for applying warm-up power to missile components.

Guided missile components, such as signal and powerdrive units, require the usual electrical warm-up which, conventionally, is accomplished by employing an electrical contactor mechanism usually carried by the missile launcher in position to electrically engage and impart the warm-up power to the missile immediately prior to its flight.

structurally, the contactor includes a plurality of pins coupled through suitable leads to a source of electrical power, the pins being carried by a plate that moves into and out of engagement with the missile. The missile itself is constructed with a special electrical connector assembly which is the member that the contactor physically engages. Briefly considered, this connector assembly is formed of a large number of connector elements concentrated in a relatively small area at the skin or surface of the missile. Also, a relatively thin protective plate covers the connectors. In operation the pins of the contactor pierce the connectors protective plate to engage the connector members and to electrically transmit the warm-up power which is conducted by suitable leads to the particular missile components.

Diificulties with such contactors arise principally because of their proximity to the intense heat of the missiles blast which, of course, occurs when it is launched. In fact, the heat is so intense that insulation materials, leads, lubricants and other elements deteriorate upon a single short exposure to the blast. Consequently, it is essential either to shield these elements from the blast or to move them entirely out of its Way and into a protected position. Exposure obviously is intolerable because launcher operation cannot be disrupted after each firing to replace the contactor. Also, contacts are expensive items.

On the other hand, adequate protection is difficult to achieve. For one reason, the contactor must maintain its engagement with the missile until the last possible instant before firing. In one launcher, for example, the allotted time between the actual firing of the missile and the order which initiates the protective movement of the contactor is about .2 of a second. Also, a Speed requirement of this nature couples with a need for absolute precision in making and breaking the contactor pin engagement. The pins, of course, must mate precisely with the missiles connectors, and their mating involves both their lateral alignment as well as their axial orientation during the piercing and engaging movements. Other problem areas are present but can be better visualized in conjunction with the detailed description of the contactor and its mode of operation.

It is therefore one of the present objects of the invention to provide an electrical contactor capable of withstanding the deteriorating efifect of a missile blast.

A more specific object is to provide such a contactor in which the deteriorating elements can be protectively shielded from the blasts within about .2 second from the instant the shielding order is initiated.

Another object is to provide a swingable contactor that can be moved from a missile engaging position to a position in which its vulnerable rnembers are protected by the launcher itself.

A further object related to the last object is to provide a mechanism for maintaining the orientation of the contactor pins during said swinging movement.

Still another object is to provide a means for swinging the contactor in an unusually rapid manner.

Another object is to provide a self-aligning contactor of the type indicated in the foregoing objects, the contactor being capable of adjusting its pin positions to correct for minor deviations.

Yet a further object is to provide cushioning means for absorbing the shock occasioned by the swinging engage ment of the contactor with the missile.

Other objects and their attendant advantages will become apparent in the ensuing detailed description.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a rear or tail-end view of a guided missile having an electrical connector adapted to be engaged by the contactor of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic side view of a missile launcher illustrating in particular the mounting of the contactor of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged end view showing the present contactor mounted on the launcher arm and further illustrating in phantom outline a missile and the manner in which the contact swings into engagement with the missiles connector;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG. 3 showing the contactor in side elevation with the contactor head centrally sectioned to show operative detail; and

FIGS. 5 and 6 are sections on lines 5-5 and 6-6 of FIG. 4.

The particular missile used to illustrate the invention is the Navys so-called Tartar, Mark II, guided missile, although the principal interest in this missile is the fact that, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 its missile-to-launcher electrical connector section 1 is carried at the rear of the missile directly in the path of its blast 15 which, of course, streams rearwardly of the missile as it is fired or launched. Other missiles may carry their connectors in diiferent positions, but, as long as there is a danger of exposure to the blast, it is essential to provide the protective features to be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, connector 1 is formed of a plurality of electrical connectors 2 bunched together in a trapezoidal configuration and covered protectively by a relatively thin plate 39. Although not illustrated, it will be appreciated that each connector is coupled by an electrical lead to a missile component requiring electrical warm-up power prior to actual flight. Another significant: factor is that connector 1 is formed with a pair of guide pin holes 4- .and 6, one on each side of the bunched connectors. As will become clearer, holes 4 and 6 receive guide members of the launcher contactor so as to finally align the contactor with the connector.

'FIG. 2 illustrates the manner in which the contactor apparatus of the invention, indicated by numeral 7, is mounted on the particular missile launcher used for firing the Tartar missile. Before considering the launcher, it

should be noted that this missile utilizes a semi-active guidance system in which wings 8 and fins 9 may be ground controlled during flight to correct flight path deviations noted by radar illumination coupled with computer techniques. During storage in the missile magazine, fins 9 are folded for space-reduction purposes. Consequently, when a missile is rammed into firing position on its launcher arm 10 it becomes necessary to erect the fins, and, for this purpose, the launcher mounts a pair of hydraulically-powered, swingable fin-erector arms 11 having fingers 12 which, in an ordered sequence of movements, engage and unfold the fins into the operative position of FIG. 1. The pair of erector arms 11 includes what may be called outboard and inboard arms and the present contactor preferably is the inboard arm because of its favorable disposition relative to missile connector 1.

With the fins erected, the missile then is prepared for firing, although, in the presently considered launcher, launcher arms ltl first are trained and elevated onto a target collision course. As will be understood by those familiar with this art, the launcher includes a pair of launcher arms each of which support and fire missiles from suitable rails onto which the missiles are directly rammed from a large missile-stowing magazine.

Prior to firing, however, it is essential to engage contactor 7 with connector 1 to apply electrical warm-up power to the missile components. In the present invention, this is accomplished by swinging the contactor 180 from a protected position behind fin erector arm 11 into missile engagement. The manner in which this swinging movement is accomplished is one of the features of the invention and will be described later in conjunction with other important features. For the present it simply is to be noted that the contactor must be swung to and from its engagement and that the necessity for the swing is to assure adequate protection of its vulnerable parts from the missile blast which is identified in FIG. 2. by numeral 15. Protection, therefore, is provided by inboard fin erector 11, it being noted in FIG. 4 that this arm has its rear surface formed with a recessed portion .14 into which a head portion 16 of the contactor closely fits.

On orders initiated at a control panel, the head is swung to its phantom position of FIG. 3. However, as will become clearer, it is essential during the swing to keep head portion 16 facing in the same direction so that its connector engaging portions will be at the correct attitude or orientation upon contact. The reason for this require ment arises since the portions of the head that actually engage the missiles are the very portions that must be protected from the blast. The same, of course, applies on the return swing of the contactor which, as previously stated, must be extremely rapid so that the head can be shielded by the erector arm before being hit by the blast. In practice, the head must be shielded within .2 second from its control panel order.

Considering the invention in greater detail, it may be noted that the major components of the contactor includes a crank-shaped housing 21 driven by a nack piston mechanism 22, the housing mounting a pair of spaced shafts 23 and 24 which are freely rotatable relative to the housing and which also are interconnected by an epicyclic gear train 26. Contactor head 16 is fixed to shaft 24, the arrangement as a whole being one in which the rack directly swings the housing which, in turn, carries its shaft 24 through its arc of revolution to swing head 16 to and fro between its protected and its missileengaging positions. The gear train is used to maintain the desired orientation of head 16 and the specific manner in which this is achieved will be considered in detail.

Housing 21, as noted, has the structural form of a crank in that it is formed with a substantially cylindrical portion 27 land a laterally or radially projecting portion 28 (FIG. 6), shaft 23 being rotatably supported in cylindrical portion 27 coaxially with the rotational axis of this portion, and shaft 24 being rotatably supported in the outer part of radial portion 28. Support for the shafts is provided in the customary manner by bearings 31 and 32 for shaft 23 and bearings 33 and 34 for shaft 24, the bearings permitting the shafts to rotate freely and independently of the housing. Also, each shaft has a l hub portion projecting upwardly through the housing and journaled in a conventional manner for providing shaft support.

Epicyclic gear train 26 also is carried by housing 21, the train being formed of a pair of identical spur gears '36 and 37 mounted as shown on shafts 23 and 24 and an idler spur gear 38 intermeshed with the shaft gears. Idler gear 33 has its hubs mounted in journal bearings 39 and 41 carried in suitably dimensioned bores in the radial portion of the housing.

For assembly and maintenance purposes, the housing is formed of upper and lower parts secured together by bolts 42 and 43. Also, the upper part of the housing is mostly enclosed and supported by a stationary casing 44 which itself is formed with a plate 46 by means of which the contactor is secured to the launcher by bolts 45. If desired, the upper part of shaft 23 can be secured by a key 46 to the surrounding stationary casing to positively avoid rotation when the contactor head is swung. Additional support for the casing is provided by fitting a cylindrical end portion into a recess 47 FIG. 4) formed in fin erector arm 11.

Casing 44- also mounts rack and piston mechanism 22 by means of which housing 21 is rotatably swung. As may be noted, the rack drive is drivably imparted to housing 21 by means of a ring gear 48 carried by the upper portion of the housings cylindrical portion 27.

FIG. 5 illustrates the details of the rack drive, and as there seen, the rack is formed by a piston d9 which is provided with teeth 51 meshing with ring gear so that reciprocation in either direction rotates the gear to swing the housing. To drive the piston, the portion of the casing surrounding it provides a cylinder lined with a sleeve 52 in which the piston rides. Threaded end caps 53 and 54 threadably enclose both ends of the cylinder, cap 53 also providing a fitting 56 for connecting a hydraulic transmission line 57 (FIG. 4) that provides fluid pressure to move the piston to the left as shown in FIG. 5.

In the position illustration in FIG. 5, the pistons movement to the left has swung the housing into the position in which it appears in full line in FIG. 3. To swing the housing from this position to its phantom, missile-engaging position, oil or other fluid pressure is admitted through another transmission line 58 coupled to a passage 59 that ports fluid to the opposite side of the piston through port 61 and another passage 62. As will be understood, the two transmissions lines couple to an appropriate control valve (not shown) that usually is pilot operated by means of a conventional solenoid pilot valve. Control for the pilot valve may be provided through suitable switches and relays so that the desired piston action occurs in a timely sequence in the entire launcher operation. Obvi ously, the control valve alternates tank and pressure between lines 57 and 58 to reciprocate the piston.

A latch 63 also is provided to secure piston 49 in its FIG. 5 position, this latch being spring-pressed into engaging position by a coil spring 60 mounted in a counterbored recess of the latch body. Release of the latch must occur when the piston is to be moved to the right (FIG. 5) and, to suit this need, the latch is mounted in fluid passageway 5'9. Further, the latch is formed with a radial flange 64 so that it acts as a piston to draw the latch out of engagement with the rack piston when pressure is applied to move the latter to the right. The latch manifestly is Withdrawn against spring pressure and is held in its withdrawn position until again aligned with the detented portion of the rack piston.

Briefly summarizing the operation of the mechanism thus far described in detail, it may be noted that the fluid drive of piston 4-9, in addition to releasing its latch, rotates ring gear 48 to rotate cylindrical portion 2'7 of the housing about its longitudinal axis, and, in addition, to swing radial portion 28 about the radius defined by its spacing from the rotational axis. Obviously, shaft 24 swings about its radius to move contactor head 16 from its protected (full line position of FIG. 3) to its missile-engaging position (phantom). However, since shaft 23 is co-axial with the rotational axis of housing 21 and its ring gear 48, this shaft remains stationary, the housing rotating about its circumference on bearings 31 and 32.

As a result of the stationary character of shaft 23, its spur gear 36 also remains stationary. However, idler gear 38, being spaced at a radius from the axis of revolution, is swung through an arc and, therefore, this idler gear must ride circumferentially on stationary gear 36. To so ride, idler gear must rotate about its axis in the rotational direction of the swinging movement of the housing and this rotation of the idler gear imparts a counter-rotational movement to spur gear 37. Finally, since gear 37 is splined to shaft 24, this shaft and contactor head 16, carried by the shaft, also are rotated counter to the rotational direction of the housing swing. The purpose of imparting this counter rotation to the contactor head is to maintain the orientation of the head during the swing so that the head has the same attitude in engaging the missile as it does when engaging the fin-erector arm. Maintenance of the same orientation can be assured by making spur gears 36 and 37 identical so that, for each degree advance of the idler on the stationary gear 36, an equal degree of counter rotation is subtracted from its twin gear 37. It, of course, is conceivable that other contactor mountings and arrangement would not desire precise maintenance of the initial orientation. In these events, the diameter or teeth of gears 36 and 37 can be varied to provide the desired effect.

The reasons for maintaining the initial orientation of contactor head 16 will become apparent upon a more detailed understanding of the structural and functioning of the head. With reference to FIG. 4, it first may be noted, that the head mounts a plurality of contactor pins 66, and a pair of larger guide pins 67 that project forwardly beyond pins 66 and, as shown, normally are received in recesses 65 provided in fin-erector arm 11. Connector pins 66 are the members that physically engage connector members 2 of the missile and transmit through these connectors the warm-up power for the missile component. As has been indicated, these pins effect their engagement by piecing protective plate 3. Guide pins 67 guide contactor pins 66 into their engagement by initially seating in guide pin holes 4 and 6 of the missile. To permit suificient freedom of movement to accomplish this final re-alignment of the pins, the pin supporting parts of the head are movable laterally in the manner to be described.

Thus, contactor pins 66 are supported in a pin support block or member 68 which, in more detail, is formed in several parts including a chambered contactor portion 69, a connector box 71, a retainer plate 72 bolted to portion 69 and box 71, and a stub shaft 73 carried by retainer plate 72. Pins 66 are mounted in individual insulated chambers formed in portion 69 and, as seen, they each are spring-pressed by coil springs 74 outwardly of this portion, the springs being used to permit an evenly distributed pressure on all pins. It also should be noted that contactor portion 69 has its lower diameter enlarged to provide a flange 75 having a function to be described.

The lower ends of the pins have connector post portions 76 projecting into connector box 71 and adapted to be electrically coupled to the cable leads of a cable 77 which, as shown in FIG. 3, conducts power from a junction box 78 to the pins for transmittal to the missile connectors.

Pin support block 68, as a whole, is slidably received in a guide pin sleeve housing 79 that, in turn, is formed with a pair of cylindrical guide pin cups 81 at its upper portion, a central sleeve portion 82, and a lower portion having a spool-shaped configuration including a pair of flanges 83 and 84 connected by a web 86. Lower flange 84 is, in fact, a nut threaded onto web 86 and it will be referred to subsequently as nut 84. Guide pins 67 are received in cups 81 and it also may be seen that the lower edges of the cup portions contact flange 75 to provide a limit for any forward sliding movement of pin support block 68.

Finally, the entire guide and connector pin structure is received in a contactor head casing 87 secured, as shown in the drawings, to shaft 24-. At its upper end, casing 87 is radially enlarged so as to be spaced from guide pin cups 81 and a bellows-like weather seal 88 closes the gap or space between these members. Also, as already intimated, the guide pin and connector pin structure must be laterally movable within casing 87 and, for this purpose, the casing walls are spaced from sleeve portion 79 and from flange 83 and nut 84. During the lateral sliding movement, bellows 88 expands on one side and collapses on its other as can be readily visualized. Control for the lateral movement is-achieved by forming an inwardly-projecting radial flange 89 on the interior wall of casing 87 in the vicinity of web 86. Flange 89 projects inwardly toward web 86 sufiiciently to position its side walls between flange 83 and nut 84. However, a fixed spacing with the web and with flange 83 and nut 84 is maintained to permit a lateral movement in all directions of about inch. The portion of the casing below its radial flange 89 may be provided with an O-ring seal 91.

To complete the structure of contactor head 16, it may be noted that web 86 has a central bore in which stub shaft 73 is slidably received and that the end of 73 is engaged by a ball 92 pressed against the shaft by a spring 93 which, in turn, is mounted in a spring casing 94, support in shaft 24.

Thus, in summation, pin support block 68 is slidably mounted in guide pin housing 79 with its stub shaft fitted into the web portion 86 of the housing. Consequently, any shock force on the pins is absorbed by spring 93 which cushions the rearward sliding motion occasioned by the thrust. Normally, spring 33 urges block 68 forwardly to the limit of its flange 75.

Also, block 68 and housing 79 are, as a unit, floatably mounted in casing 87 by the fitting together of flange 89 with flange 83, nut 84 and web 86.

The operation of the entire contactor mechanism should be rather evident. When the fin erector arm 11 (FIG. 2) has positioned its contactor mechanism in its FIG. 3 position, the mechanism may be swung to and fro between the erector arm and the missile by admitting fluid pressure to transmission line 53 of the rack piston drive. The rack directly rotates housing 21 to assure maximum speed of operation. Also, during the swing the epicyclic gear train maintains the position of contactor head 16 so that its guide pins and contactor pins keep their initial orientation throughout the swing. Consequently, guide pins 67 are at the proper attitude to engage missile connector guide holes 4 as the contactor moves into engagement. The guide pins then sense any minor deviations and move the connector pins 66 laterally a compensating amount. The freedom of movement, of course, is permitted by the previously-described floatable mounting of both the guide and contactor pins.

When the missile is warmed-up, trained and elevated, a firing order is given and, as already stated, it is one of the requirements of the present launcher that the contactor has only about .2 second to be moved into its protected position behind fin erector arm 11. The movement, obviously, is achieved by admitting pressure into port 56 of the rack cylinder to swing the housing rapidly and also to rotate the gears for maintaining proper pin orientation. In actual practice, these movements are too fast for the eye to follow due to the rapid shift of the piston being transmitted directly to the housing.

Other important functional features also have been described in detail and their operation explained in conjunction with their structural details. Such details will not again be considered although it is emphasized that they, as well as the simple and effective arrangements of many of the parts, are presently significant. The contactor, as a unit, has proven to be a very reliable, simple and relatively inexpensive mechanism with pronounced improvements over similar mechanisms, particularly for use with a launcher of the type described.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contactor apparatus for engaging and applying warm-up power to a missile, comprising a casing, means for axially rotating the casing, first and second shafts carried by and freely rotatable about their longitudinal axes within said casing, said first shaft having its longitudinal axis substantially aligned with said casing axis of rotation, and said second shaft being radially spaced from said rotational axis for a swinging iovement on said radius upon casing rotation, a contactor member fixed to said second shaft, and an epicyclic gear train coupling said shafts one to another, said second shaft initially being rotatably oriented to face its contactor member in a particular direction, and said gear train being adapted to rotate said second shaft about its longitudinal axis as said second shaft is radially swung by said casing rotation, whereby the rotated orientation of said contactor member is controllable during said swing for effecting a desired engagement of the contactor member with the missile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gear train includes a gear co-axially mounted on each shaft, and an idler gear coupling said shaft gears, said idler gear traveling the circumference of said first shaft gear during said casing rotation, and said traveling movement rotating said idler gear for imparting a counter rotation to said second shaft gear, whereby said second shaft and its contactor member rotate about the longitudinal axis of said second shaft counter to the direction of rotational advance of said casing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said shaft and idler gears are spur gears.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second shafts have parallel longitudinal axes and mount operatively identical gears co-axially with their longitudinal axes, whereby said initial orientation of said contactor member is maintained during said swinging movement of the second shaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said casing further is formed with a cylindrical portion and said means for axially rotating said casing includes a rack, fluid pressure means for reciprocating said rack, and a ring gear circumferentially carried by said casing cylindrical portion, said rack being coupled to said ring gear, said first shaft having its longitudinal axis aligned with the ring gear axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said rack is provided with a detent and said apparatus further including a detent-engaging latch, resilient means normally urging said latch into rack-securing position, and fluid pressure means for releasing said latch, said fluid pressure means being transmissively communicated with said rack pressure means for simultaneously releasing said rack and reciprocally driving said rack.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said casing is formed with a lateral extension and said second shaft is mounted in said extension with its longitudinal axis substantially parallel to first shaft axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said contactor member includes a block housing, a block floatably mounted in said housing and provided at its forward end with a face portion, and connector and guide pins carried by said face portion and adapted to engage said missile connector, said floataole mounting permitting lateral movement of said block in all directions relative to said housing whereupon said guide pin engagement is capable of readjusting the block position for properly aligning said connector pins.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said contactor member includes a block housing, a block floatably mounted in said housing and provided at its forward end with a face portion, and connector and guide pins carried by said face portion and adapted to engage said missile connector, said floatable mounting permitting lateral movement of said block in all directions relative to said housing whereupon said guide pin engagement is capable of readjusting the block position for properly aligning said connector pins.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said face portion of the block is spaced circumferentially from said housing for enabling said lateral movements, said apparatus further including a bellows-shaped sealing member secured at its sides to said housing and said face portion, said bellows sealably bridging said circumferential space and expanding and collapsing in response to said lateral movements.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said block is formed of a cup-shaped guide pin support sleeve, and a connector pin support member slidably fitted into said sleeve, said sleeve being formed with flange means for positively restraining the forward movement of said support member, and said apparatus further including cushioning means resiliently engaging the rearward end of said support member for urging said support member forwardly and for cushioning said support member as it engages said missile.

12. An electrical contactor apparatus for engaging and applying warm-up power to a missile connector when the missile is supported in firing disposition on a missile launcher, said apparatus comprising an arm disposed in proximity to said missile connector and formed with a contactor protective surface, a casing pivotally carried by said arm, means for rotating said casing about its pivotal axis, first and second shafts carried by and freely rotatable about their longitudinal axes within said casing, said first shaft having its longitudinal axis substantially aligned with said casing axes, and said second shaft being radially spaced a predetermined distance from said casing axis for positioning an end portion in proximity to said protective surface, a contactor member provided with a contactor-bearing face portion fixed to said second shaft end portion and initially oriented by said second shaft to dispose its face portion in a contactor-protecting position relative to said protective surface, and gear means coupling said shafts one to another, said radial spacing of said second shaft permitting said contactor face portion to be swung by said casing rotation from said contactor-protected position into engagement with said missile connector, and said gear means rotating said second shaft about its longitudinal axis during said swinging movement for effecting a desired engagement of said contactor-bearing face with said missile connector.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said gear train includes a gear co-axially mounted on each shaft, and an idler gear coupling said shaft gears, said idler gear traveling the circumference of said first shaft gear during said casing rotation, and said traveling movement rotating said idler gear for imparting a counter rotation to said second shaft gear, whereby said second shaft and its contactor member rotate about the longitudinal axis of said second shaft counter to the direction of rotational advance of said casing.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said first and second shafts have parallel longitudinal axes and mount operatively identical gears co-axially with their longitudinal axes, whereby said initial orientation of said contactor member is maintained during said swinging movement of the second shaft.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said casing further is formed with a cylindrical portion and said means for axially rotating said casing includes a rack, fluid pressure means for reciprocating said rack, and a ring gear circumferentially carried by said casing cylindrical portion, said rack being coupled to said ring gear, said first shaft having its longitudinal axis aligned with the ring gear axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein said contactor member includes a block housing, a block floatably mounted in said housing and provided at its forward end with a face portion, and connector and guide pins carried by said face portion and adapted to engage said missile connector, said fioatable mounting permitting lateral movement of said block in all directions relative to said housing whereupon said guide pin engagement is capable of readjusting the block position for properly aligning said connector pins.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said block is formed of a cup-shaped guide pin support sleeve, and a connector pin support member slidably fitted into said sleeve, said sleeve being formed with flange means for positively restraining the forward movement of said support member, and said apparatus further including cushioning means resiliently engaging the rearward end of said support member for urging said support member forwardly and for cushioning said support member as it engages said missile.

No references cited. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR APPARATUS FOR ENGAGING AND APPLYING WARM-UP POWER TO A MISSILE, COMPRISING A CASING, MEANS FOR AXIALLY ROTATING THE CASING, FIRST AND SECOND SHAFTS CARRIED BY AND FREELY ROTATABLE ABOUT THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES WITHIN SAID CASING, SAID FIRST SHAFT HAVING ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID CASING AXIS OF ROTATION, AND SAID SECOND SHAFT BEING RADIALLY SPACED FROM SAID ROTATIONAL AXIS FOR A SWINGING MOVEMENT ON SAID RADIUS UPON CASING ROTATION, A CONTACTOR MEMBER FIXED TO SAID SECOND SHAFT, AND AN EPICYCLIC GEAR TRAIN COUPLING SAID SHAFTS ONE TO ANOTHER, SAID SECOND SHAFT INITIALLY BEING ROTATABLY ORIENTED TO FACE ITS CONTACTOR MEMBER IN A PARTICULAR DIRECTION, AND SAID GEAR TRAIN BEING ADAPTED TO ROTATE SAID SECOND SHAFT ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS AS SAID SECOND SHAFT IS RADIALLY SWUNG BY SAID CASING ROTATION, WHEREBY THE ROTATED ORIENTATION OF SAID CONTACTOR MEMBER IS CONTROLLABLE DURING SAID SWING FOR EFFECTING A DESIRED ENGAGEMENT OF THE CONTACTOR MEMBER WITH THE MISSILE. 